It keeps away the nargles
by What'dIMiss
Summary: Luna finds Harry sitting on the bathroom floor, a knife in his hand, ready to succumb to all the pain taking over his mind, his life, wanting it all to end. She finds a way to comfort him. One-shot, trigger warning inside. Rated T. Written for CrimsonGoldQueen.


**A/N: Writing this gave me some major feels. Not even kidding. This was written for CrimsonGoldQueen as part of the Drabble Game Challenge(though it's a bit long to be a drabble). The prompt was knife.**

 **This is during fifth year, post-creation of Dumbledore's Army.**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: suicidal thoughts.**

 **Try to enjoy.**

Luna skipped down the hallway, smiling and humming to herself. Her steps echoed off the floor. She had come from a quick defense practice with a few other members of Dumbledore's Army in the Room of Requirement.

She stopped when she heard someone crying.

She followed the sound to the boys bathroom. Not caring if she was seen by anyone, she stepped in and saw that it was Harry, sitting on the wet floor against the sink, an ornate-looking knife grasped too tightly in one hand, turning his hand white.

"Harry Potter?"

Harry looked up. His eyes were red and full of pain, his glasses to the side of him on the floor, appearing to be broken. His hair was mangled in his face, his scar prominent underneath regardless. "L-Luna?"

Luna kneeled in front of him. "Did the nargles get to you too?" She knew they were an issue for her, but had they extended their influence elsewhere too?

Harry cracked a smile at that, but then went back to his previous expression. He shook his head. "I...I can't do it anymore."

"Do what?"

"I can't do _everything_. It's all too much. The nightmares, the painful memories, the pressure, the _torture_ ," He directed the knife towards his wrist. "I have to make it stop."

Luna slid down to the floor and took his hand, making him relax. She gently took the knife away and slid it across the floor, far out of reach.

Harry looked her in the eye. She wrapped her other arm around him and wiped a tear forming under his eye.

"Hurting yourself won't solve anything. You're accepting this as the only option, but it's not. You can choose to be strong, and fight what's making you think bad thoughts," she said soothingly with a tone of seriousness in her voice.

"I...I don't know..." Harry said, unsure and afraid.

"It's okay if you need to cry. I won't judge."

Harry leaned into her, tears falling. He started shaking with each breath, but Luna never faltered, holding his hand the whole time.

When he was breathing somewhat normally again, Luna took her charm bracelet off and put it on his wrist, the one he was going to cut. "To keep them away," she explained. She smiled and helped him up, keeping her hand in his.

Harry smiled weakly at Luna. "Thanks..." he started.

Luna smiled warmly back and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I like to think I'm good at keeping the nargles at bay."

Harry smiled more now. He let Luna lead him out and back to the Gryffindor common room, still holding hands, where Hermione and Ron were to greet him.

"Where were you, Harry?! We were so worried! You were gone for hours!" Hermione hugged him.

"Yeah, mate, you don't look so good." Ron said from behind. True, Harry looked pale and his eyes were still red.

"I'm fine now, promise." Harry looked back at Luna and smiled. "Thanks to Luna."

"Always happy to help a friend." Luna waved and walked off.

"Well, get on in here, Seamus thinks he can set Trevor on fire without burning him!" Ron turned to walk back into the common room.

"What's that on your wrist, Harry?" Hermione asked as they walked back into the common room.

Harry looked to see the bracelet. "I think it's to keep the nargles away." He smiled at it.

She looked at him skeptically. "Ok, whatever you say. I still don't believe they're real." Hermione sat on a couch next to Ron, watching Seamus.

Harry sat down opposite, holding his wrist in his hand, fingering the charm, thinking about what Luna had said to him. She was right. Hurting himself was not the only option to stopping the pain he felt. He needed to fight it. He _wanted_ to fight it.

Meanwhile, Luna went back to the bathroom, made sure it was empty, and pulled out her wand. "Reducto," she said, directing it towards the discarded knife still on the floor. It burst until it settled into a pile of rubble and ash on the floor.

She turned on her heel and walked out, closing the door behind her.

 **Please review, and thanks for reading.**


End file.
